Getting vegetables into our kid's diet can be a bit of a challenge. Picking kids are the number one issues that parents struggle within the cooking arena. I get it, truly! Soups and sauces are a fantastic way to sneak in those greens. This Chili recipe is a hit with many kids, I do leave the beans out if making for really picky kids. One tip to get kids on board, load up the cheese and even tortilla chips to make it even more enticing. Remember that it can that it can take up to 7 times for a child to catch on to a food. Keep offering my friends. Don't give up!
The Veggies!!!
This is where you get to play with your food! What are some of your favorite veggies? I like to choose veggies that can hold up to cooking and seasonal choices as well. This gives such an interesting flavor. Pumpkin, butternut squash, even greens can be added. Again if you have picky eaters, dice or chop finely. I do always have the trinity of cooking. Onions, peppers, and celery. These need to be sautee in fats to soften! I do a little sautee on all the veggies to give them a good coating of fats and seasonings!
There are some cans and jugs used in chili unless you can your tomatoes. Gardening is not my gift, trust me I have tried! So canned organic tomatoes it is! I LOVE Trader Joe's garden patch veggie juice! No added junk and very flavorful! Add in my homemade taco seasoning and you have a winner! Time for the recipe!!
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup mushroom diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and chopped
1 cup zucchini
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 cans 28 oz diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can navy beans, rinsed
64 oz tomato/veggie juice.
3/4-1 cup chili seasoning ( my recipe)
1 tbsp cinnamon
shredded cheese and greek yogurt for toppings
